Chapter III: Preface: To the First Edition

OUR apology for preparing a bee-book is a very simple one. We are so frequently applied to for advice on matters connected with bees and beehives, that it seemed likely to prove a great advantage, alike to our correspondents and ourselves, if we could point to a "handy book" of our own which should contain full and detailed replies sufficient to meet all ordinary enquiries. Most of the apiarian manuals possess some special excellence or other, and we have no wish to disparage any of them; yet in all we have found a want of explanations relating to several of the more recent improvements.

It has more especially been our aim to give explicit and detailed directions on most subjects connected with the hiving and removing of bees, and also to show how, by judicious application of the "depriving" system, the productive powers of the bees may be enormously increased.

We need say little here as to the interest that attaches to the apiary as a source of perennial pleasure for the amateur naturalist. Many of the hives and methods of management are described with a direct reference to this class of bee-keepers, so that, besides plain and simple directions suitable for cottagers with their ordinary hives, this work will be found to include instructions useful for the scientific apiarian, or at least valuable for those who desire to gain a much wider acquaintance with the secrets of bee-keeping than is now usually possessed. We would lay stress on the term "acquaintance," for there is nothing in the management of the various bar-and-frame hives which is at all difficult when frequent practice has rendered the bee-keeper familiar with them. Such explicit directions are herein given as to how the right operations may be performed at the right times, that a novice may at once commence to use the modern hives. The word "new-fangled" has done good service for the indolent and prejudiced, but we trust that our readers will be of a very different class. Let them give a fair trial to the modern appliances for the humane and depriving system of bee-keeping, and they will find offered to them an entirely new field of interest and observation. At present our continental neighbours far surpass us as bee-masters; but we trust that the following season, if the summer be fine, will prove a turning point in the course of English bee-keeping. There is little doubt that a greater number of intelligent and influential persons in this country will become bee-keepers than has ever been the case before.

Our task would have lost half its interest did we not hope that it would result in something beyond the encouragement of a refined and interesting amusement for the leisurely classes. The social importance of bee-keeping, as a source of pecuniary profit for small farmers and agricultural labourers, has never been appreciated as it deserves. Yet these persons will not, of themselves, lay aside the bungling and wasteful plan of destroying the bees, or learn without being taught the only proper method, that of deprivation. Their educated neighbours, when once interested in the pursuit, will be the persons to introduce the more profitable system of humane bee-keeping. The clergy especially, as permanent residents in the country, may have great influence in this respect. There is not a rural or suburban parish in the kingdom in which bee-keeping might not be largely extended, and the well-being of all but the very poorest inhabitants would be greatly promoted. Not only would the general practice of bee-keeping add largely to the national resources, but that addition would chiefly fall to the share of those classes to whom it would be of most value. Moreover, in the course of thus adding to their income, the uneducated classes would become interested in an elevating and instructive pursuit.

It is curious to observe that honey, whether regarded as a manufactured article or as an agricultural product, is obtained under economical conditions of exceptional advantage. If regarded as a manufactured article, we notice that there is no outlay required for "labour," nor any expense for "raw material." The industrious labourers are eager to utilise all their strength; they never "combine" except for the benefit of their master, they never "strike" for wages, and they provide their own subsistence. All that the master-manufacturer of honey has to do financially is, to make a little outlay for "fixed capital" in the needful "plant" of hives and utensils; no "floating capital" is needed. Then, on the other hand, if we regard honey as an agricultural product, it presents as such a still more striking contrast to the economists' theory of what are the "requisites of production." Not only is there no outlay needed for wages, and none for raw material, but there is nothing to be paid for "use of a natural agent." Every square yard of land in the United Kingdom may come to be cultivated, as in China, but no proprietor will ever be able to claim "rent" for those "waste products" of the flowers and leaves which none but the winged workers of the hive can ever utilise.

The recent domestication in England of the Ligurian or Italian Alp bee adds a new and additional source of interest to bee-culture. We have therefore gone pretty fully into this part of the subject; and believe that what is here published with regard to their introduction embodies the most recent and reliable information respecting them that is possessed by English apiarians.[2]

[Footnote 2: Some of our apiarian friends may be inclined to be discouraged from cultivating the Ligurian bees in consequence of the liability of their becoming hybridised when located in proximity to the black bees. We can dispel these fears by stating that we have not unfrequently found that hybrid queens possess the surprising fecundity of the genuine Italian ones, whilst the English stocks in course of time become strengthened by the infusion of foreign blood.]

We are under many obligations for the advice and assistance that we have on many occasions received from Mr. T. W. Woodbury, of Exeter, whose apiarian skill is unrivalled in this country. Our acknowledgments are also due to Mr. Henry Taylor, author of an excellent "Bee-keeper's Manual," for his help and counsel during the earlier years of our apiarian experience. Both these gentlemen have frequently communicated to us their contrivances and suggestions, without thought of fee or reward for them. In common with most recent writers on bee-culture, we are necessarily largely indebted to the standard works of Huber and succeeding apiarians. From the more recent volume of the Rev. L. L. Langstroth we have also obtained useful information. But having ourselves, of later years, had considerable experience in the manipulation and practical management of bees, we are enabled to confirm or qualify the statements of others, as well as to summarise information gleaned from various sources.

Let it be understood that we have no patented devices to push; we are free to choose out of the many apiarian contrivances that have been offered of late years, and we feel perfectly at liberty to praise or blame as our experience warrants us in doing. It does not follow that we necessarily disparage hives which are not described herein; we have sought as much as possible to indicate the _principles_ on which _good hives_ must be constructed, whatever their outward size or shape. All through the work, we have endeavoured to adopt the golden rule of "submission to Nature" by reference to which all the fancied difficulties of bee-keeping may be easily overcome. In none of the attempts of men to hold sway over natural objects is the truth of Bacon's leading doctrine more beautifully illustrated than in the power that the apiarian exercises in the little world of bees.

Some persons may consider we have used too many poetical quotations in a book dealing wholly with matters of fact. We trust, however, that the examination of the extracts will at once remove that feeling of objection.

We venture to hope that the following pages contain many valuable hints and interesting statements which may tend to excite increased and renewed attention to the most useful and industrious of all insects.

Although bees have neither reason nor religion for their guide, yet from them man may learn many a lesson of virtue and industry, and may even draw from them thoughts suggestive of trust and faith in God.

We beg leave to conclude our preface, and introduce the subject, by the following extract from Shakespeare, who, without doubt, kept bees in that garden at Stratford wherein he used to meditate:--

"So work the honey-bees;
Creatures that, by a rule in Nature, teach
The art of order to a peopled kingdom.
They have a king and officers of sorts;
Where some, like magistrates, correct at home;
Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad;
Others, like soldiers, armed in their stings,
Make boot upon the summer's velvet buds;
Which pillage they, with merry march, bring home
To the tent royal of their emperor:
Who, busied in his majesty, surveys
The singing masons building roofs of gold;
The civil citizens kneading up the honey;
The poor mechanic porters crowding in
Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate;
The sad-eyed justice, with his surly hum,
Delivering o'er to executors pale
The lazy, yawning drone."

Shakespeare's _Henry V._, Act i. Scene 2.

CONTENTS

_INTRODUCTION._

PAGE
Literature of Bee-keeping 1

_CHAPTER I._

The Bee as an Insect.

SEC.
I. Classification 7
II. The Queen 8
III. The Drone 19
IV. The Worker 27
V. The Italian or Ligurian Bee 34
VI. Other Foreign Varieties 45
VII. Faculties and Functions 54
VIII. Eggs and Transformations 59
IX. Reproductive Economy 62
X. Relation of Sex to Cells 67
XI. The Rationale of Swarming 72
XII. Increase of Bees 82

_CHAPTER II._

Anatomy and Physiology.

I. Preliminary Remarks 86
II. The Head and Organs of Sensation 88
III. The Thorax and Organs of Motion 97
IV. The Abdomen and Secretive Organs 102

_CHAPTER III._

_Modern Beehives._

I. Common Cottager's Hive 108
II. Neighbours' Crystal Palace Skep 109
III. The Cottager's Hive 110
IV. An Improved Cottager's Hive 112
V. Neighbours' Improved Cottager's Hive 113
VI. The Ladies' Observatory Hive 120
VII. Nutt's Collateral Hive 123
VIII. Huber's Hive 127
IX. The Woodbury Frame Hive 134
X. Neighbours' New Frame Hive 139
XI. Neighbours' Cottager's Frame Hive 142
XII. The Philadelphia Frame Hive 143
XIII. Cheshire's Frame Hive 145
XIV. Abbott's New Frame Hive 146
XV. The Stewarton Hive 146
XVI. The Lanarkshire Hive 155
XVII. Neighbours' Unicomb Observatory Hive--Outdoor 157
XVIII. Neighbours' Unicomb Observatory Hive--Indoor 162

_CHAPTER IV._

Fittings and Apparatus.

I. Bee-Houses 166
II. Zinc Covers 171
III. Wood Covers 172
IV. Quilts 180
V. Bell Glasses 180
VI. Bar Supers 183
VII. Ekes and Nadirs 186
VIII. Impressed Wax Sheets 187
IX. Comb Foundations 190
X. Cheshire's Guide-Maker 191
XI. Bar-Frame Holder 192
XII. Cheshire's Transferring Board 192
XIII. Honey Cutters 193
XIV. The Honey Extractor 193
XV. Cheshire's Nucleus Hive 197
XVI. Queen-Cages 198
XVII. Queen and Drone Preventer 200
XVIII. Bee-Traps 201
XIX. Drone-Traps 201
XX. Bee-Feeders 202
XXI. Fumigators 206
XXII. Bee-Dress or Protector 208

_CHAPTER V._

Bee Manipulation.

I. Hiving Swarms 212
II. Transferring Swarms 218
III. Transferring Old Stocks 222
IV. Driving 226
V. Uniting Colonies 229
VI. Artificial Swarming 233
VII. Queen-Rearing 243
VIII. Introducing New Queens 247
IX. Italianising 251
X. General Hints on Frame Hives 254
XI. Removing Bees 259
XII. Supplying Natural Comb 261
XIII. Applying Supers 264
XIV. Removing Supers 266
XV. Removing Frames 268
XVI. Extracting Honey 274
XVII. Melting Combs down 275
XVIII. Weighing Hives 276
XIX. Feeding 279
XX. Winter Precautions 283

_CHAPTER VI._

Miscellaneous Information.

I. Stings: their Prevention and Cure 286
II. Position of Hives 292
III. Pasturage for Bees 293
IV. Honey 296
V. Pollen, or Bee-Bread 298
VI. Propolis, or Bees' Cement 300
VII. Secretion of Wax 302
VIII. Robbing 305
IX. Diseases of Bees 306
X. Bee Enemies 315
XI. Bee-keeping in London 322
XII. General Remarks 332

_APPENDIX._

International Exhibition of 1862 347
Cases of Acclimatising Bees 349
Philadelphia Exhibition 350
Caledonian Apiarian Society 351

DESCRIPTION OF PLATES.

PLATE I. (Page 34).

1. Queen bee.
1_a_. Antenna of ditto.
1_b_. Hind leg of ditto.
1_c_. Front view of head of ditto.
1_d_. Mandible of ditto.
2. Worker, or imperfect female.
2_a_. Antenna of ditto.
2_b_. Hind leg of ditto, inner side showing the pollen-brushes.
2_b_* Ditto, outer side showing the pollen-basket.
2_c_* Side view of head.
2_c_. Back view of ditto, showing the junction of the gullet with the
thorax, and position of the tongue and its appendages.
2_d_. Mandible.
3. Male, or drone.
3_a_. Antenna of ditto.
3_b_. Hind leg of ditto.
3_c_. Front view of head of ditto.
3_d_. Mandible of ditto.
A. Enlarged view of the wing. B. Hind edge of fore wing,
showing the thickened margin, and fore edge of hind
wing, showing the hooks, which hold on to the thickened
margin of the fore wing, and keep them together during
flight.

PLATE II. (Page 86).

1. Body of a bee divested of antennæ, legs, and wings, showing
the anatomy of the thorax and natural position of the
stomach.
5*. The eyes.
_a_. The stemmata.
_bbb_. The muscles that move the wings.
_c_. The external covering of the thorax.
_ee_. The bases of the wings.
_d_. The honey-bag, or first stomach.
_f_. The ventricle, or true stomach, distended with food.
_g_. The rectum.
_h_. The biliary vessels.
_i_. Portion of the membranous tissue lining the inner
surface of the segments, and enclosing the stomach
and intestines.
2. The stomach emptied of its contents, to show the muscular
contraction of the ventricle.
_d_. The honey-bag.
_f_. The ventricle.
_g_. The rectum.
_h_. The biliary vessels.
3. The ligula, or tongue, and its appendages.
_l_. The base of the ligula.
_m_. The paraglossæ.
_n_. The maxillæ.
_o_. The labial palpi.
_p_. The tongue.
4. The sting and its muscles.
_s_. Curved base of the outer sheath enclosing the sting.
_r_. Muscles that move the sting.
_q_. The attachment of the muscles to the outer covering
of the abdomen.
_t_. Poison-bag.
_u_. Glands connected with the poison-bag.
_V_. Honey-plates covering the muscles _r_, and to which
the sheaths of the sting are attached at _s_.
** Base of sting connecting with the poison-bag _t_.
* Tip of the same
4* Magnified view of point of sting, showing the serrations on
each side.
5. Three hexagonal prisms of a bee's eye (Swammerdam).
6. Abdominal plates of the bee, detached to show the wax cells.
7. Eggs of bee, natural size, and magnified (from Réaumur).
8. Helminthomorphous or apodal larva of a bee (Réaumur).

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Frontispiece.--Coloured view of Geo. Neighbour and Sons'
Apiary.
Plate I.--Italian Alp Queen, Drone and Worker Bees, with
Anatomical Drawings _Facing page_ 34
Plate II.--Dissected Bee, with Illustrations of various
Members _Facing page_ 86
Common Cottager's Hive 108
Neighbours' Crystal Palace Skep 109
The Cottager's Hive 110
Improved Cottager's Hive 112
Improved Cottage Hive (No. 5) 113
Improved Cottage Hive (No. 6), no windows 119
The Ladies' Observatory Hive 120
Nutt's Collateral Hive 123
Woodbury's Bar-frame Hive (wood) 135
Woodbury's Single Bar Frame as taken from hive 135
Woodbury's Bar-frame Hive (straw) 136
Woodbury's Bar-frame Hive (glass) 138
Neighbours' New Frame Hive (wood) 139
Neighbours' New Frame Hive (straw), with Frame Super 142
Neighbours' Cottager's Frame Hive (wood) 143
Neighbours' Philadelphia Frame Hive 144
Stewarton or Ayrshire Hive 147
Neighbours' Outdoor Unicomb Hive 158
Neighbours' Indoor Unicomb Hive 162
Bee House for two Hives--Front view 166
Bee House for two Hives--Back view 167
Bee House for twelve Hives--Front view 169
Bee House for twelve Hives--Back view 170
Ornamented Zinc Cover 171
Zinc Cover for Cottager's Hive 172
Wooden Cover for Frame Hive 174
Neighbours' New Frame Hive, with Cover, Stand, and Pair of
Divisional Supers--Back view 175
Neighbours' New Frame Hive, ditto--Closed front view 176
Neighbours' New Frame Hive and Frame Super (glass), with
large Cover and on Stand--Front view 178
Neighbours' New Frame Hive--Front view, closed 178
Neighbours' New Frame Hive (No. 81). Wood with Straw
Crown, and Large Window in close-fitting Cover and
Stand 179
Bell and Flat-shaped Glasses (5 varieties) 181
Payne's Glasses 182
Flap-topped Glass, with Cover for Table 182
Woodbury Glass-sided Bar Super 183
Bar-frame Super--Glass Sides and Top, with Shutters 184
Neighbours' New Divisional Super 184
Neighbours' New Sectional Super 185
Neighbours' New Bar-frame Holder 192
Honey Cutters 193
Honey Extractor 194
Neighbours' Queen and Drone Preventer 200
Neighbours' Bottle Feeder 203
Neighbours' New Can Feeders 204
Neighbours' Round Feeders 205
New Wood Feeder 206
Fumigators (2 illustrations) 207
Bee Dress or Protector 209
Bee Veil 210
Contrivance for protecting Queen Cell 244
Guide Comb Glasses 263
Weighing Hives 277
Bees at Exhibition of 1862 348
Exterior of an Apiary 352
Interior of an Apiary 353